Charges of derhaka (treason) or lese majeste or whatever, to the Sultan of Perak levelled against Perak MB Mohd Nizar by members of the Barisan Nasional for refusing to step down are to my mind pretty silly, if not downright bloody stupid. (Read here in Malaysiakini).

It is simply a matter of the rule of law and the country's top legal minds are still debating the issue in cyberspace. Our history books are also full of accounts of mighty emperors, kings, Marcoses, Idi Amins et al having been unceremoniously booted out for failing to heed the call and committing derhaka against the rakyat, the final arbiter of things.

The government of the day should be wise to try and learn from history.

I have never been in awe of royalty since they are only human and not quite infallible.

During my school days in MCKK, there were a few rajas and tengkus from the country's royal households amongst the good mix of blue bloods and peasantry in prep school and many are still my friends today.

As a member of a proud Bugis clan from Linggi myself, I can trace my ancestral lineage direct to the legendary Bugis warrior/sailor prince Raja Haji, son of Daeng Chelak, one of the Daeng band of brothers from Sulawesi who went on to found what are now the royal houses of Selangor and Johor.

No big deal here perhaps, but this makes me as 'royal' as I want to fancy myself to be.